Automatic threat evaluation and weapon assignment (TEWA) has traditionally been approached in the following representative manner. If an unassigned hostile enters the system, a threat index is computed. The threat index rates the hostile with respect to defended areas and, if a threshold is attained, a trial intercept calculation (TIC) is triggered. There may be several defended areas or the whole country could be considered as one large defended area. The TIC performed typically selects from a list of weapon resources (interceptors and surface to air missiles (SAM) for example), and recommends a set of weapons, ordered by the shortest time to intercept, to engage the target. The intercept problem solved by TIC processing is the time-space problem of placing the target and weapon at the same point in time and space. Once a TIC has been calculated against a target, the target is no longer evaluated as a threat, since a recommendation has been made to the operator, and automatic TEWA processing is terminated for the target.
This traditional process has shortcomings, and in particular does not address several problems. If information regarding the target (such as type and weapons load) is known, this information is not utilized by TIC processing. The TIC recommends the shortest time to intercept solutions regardless of the target type or defensive weapon type. Hence, it is possible to recommend an interceptor with a weapons load which has virtually no chance of destroying the target. It would be desirable to pair targets with the type of defensive weapons which have a likelihood of destroying the target.
If several hostiles have entered the system, TIC processing does not consider the multiple target problem. That is, TICs are performed one at a time on a target by target basis. Thus, the TIC may recommend a weapon to intercept target number 1 whereas that weapon is most effective against target number 2. In such a situation, it would be desirable to recommend a weapon against the target number 2.
Another problem is that conventional automatic threat evaluation does not account for target maneuver. Consequently upon TIC completion, if the target has maneuvered, the TIC may no longer be valid for the target. Moreover, once a TIC is completed, the target is no longer eligible for automatic threat evaluation processing. This is undesirable in the event of a missed intercept.